How Kieran McKenna now feels about leaving Ipswich Town for Celtic, Crystal Palace or Fulham | OneFootball

Kieran McKenna has been linked with a potential move away from Ipswich Town this summer

Ipswich Town earned their place back in the Premier League on the final day of the Championship campaign.

A 3-0 win at home to QPR led to celebratory scenes at Portman Road, with the team finishing second in the table and just one point clear of Millwall in third.

Kieran McKenna’s side suffered relegation with a 19th place finish in the top flight 12 months ago, but have won their status as a Premier League side back at the first attempt which marks a third promotion inside just four years.

The Suffolk outfit will now be planning to improve the squad in order to survive at that level longer-term.

However, the future of McKenna has been cast in doubt, with the Northern Irishman linked to a number of vacancies.

The 39-year-old has been in charge of the club since December 2021, and has overseen their rise from League One to the top flight.

How Kieran McKenna feels about leaving Ipswich Town

It has been reported by Football Insider that McKenna is keen to remain at Ipswich following their promotion from the Championship.

It’s believed that he is set to snub interest from the likes of Fulham, Crystal Palace and Celtic to commit his future to the Tractor Boys.

McKenna is expected to remain with the club, and he is excited by the prospect of competing in the top flight again.

Ipswich’s promotion has reportedly convinced the head coach that he wants to tackle another survival battle next season instead of jump ship.

The former Man United coach has built a strong reputation in the game in his time at Portman Road, and he previously turned down the advances of Chelsea and Brighton when the club earned promotion in 2024.

Crystal Palace are set to replace Oliver Glasner this summer, with the Austrian departing when his contract expires at the end of the campaign.

Meanwhile, Marco Silva’s future at Craven Cottage is up in the air, with his deal also concluding next month.

And Martin O’Neill’s time as interim boss at Parkhead is set to come to an end when the season finishes, with the Glasgow giants in need of a permanent replacement.

However, McKenna is set to reject the opportunity to move to these clubs in favour of staying with Ipswich.

Planning will be underway for the Tractor Boys’ transfer business, and the 39-year-old will already be considering potential signings to bolster the squad for life in the Premier League.

Kieran McKenna staying is a huge boost for Ipswich

Replacing McKenna would’ve been an extremely difficult task for CEO Mark Ashton at this stage, as so much work has likely already been done on scouting potential signings for his version of the squad.

Having to find a new manager would be a huge setback for all that work, and would really slow down their preparations for a tough Premier League campaign ahead.

McKenna has been a massively influential figure since taking over at the end of 2021, and it will be a difficult day whenever he does eventually leave the club.

That he is willing to turn down stable Premier League roles like Fulham and Crystal Palace also shows his level of belief in Ipswich's ability to survive in the division.